REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Republic of Botswana
CANDIDATE: Craig Lewis Cloud
Craig Cloud, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has been the Management Counselor of the American Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan, since 2017. Among his other senior leadership positions overseas, Mr. Cloud was the Minister Counselor for Management Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, India (2013 -2017) and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy Mbabane, Swaziland (2010 – 2013). Mr. Cloud has also served as the Management Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. His keen understanding of the complex operational and security challenges overseas, extensive work with PEPFAR programming, and experience in successfully leading and managing diverse interagency teams, make him an excellent candidate for Ambassador to Botswana.
Mr. Cloud’s other assignments include Management Officer for the U.S. Embassy, Lilongwe, Malawi (2004 – 2007) and Security Engineering Officer for the U.S. Embassies in Harare, Zimbabwe; Moscow, Russia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (1993 – 2004).
Mr. Cloud earned his B.S. from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina in 1986. He speaks French and Spanish. Mr. Cloud is the recipient of a number of notable State Department Awards.